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View Winners → Monrovia Homebrew Shop
Business Nov 09, 2016
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Located on Myrtle just south of Old Town Monrovia, Monrovia Homebrew Shop offers full homebrewing equipment and ingredients to local beer brewers -Photo by Emily G. Peters
By Emily G. Peters
From draft to craft to microbrews, a beer renaissance has been afoot across the nation in recent years. And though it’s pretty easy to get your hands on a locally-produced beer these days, an even more discerning approach to fermentation has been furtively gaining ground: the art of homebrewing.
Monrovia Homebrew Shop was founded in 2014 and opened its doors for business in 2015. Functioning as a supply haven for beer buffs (or cerevisaphiles, if you’re feeling fancy), the shop was launched by newlyweds Araceli and Steven Cardenas and their close friend, Robert Hernandez to help fill what was a major gap in the homebrew market in the San Gabriel Valley. Before they opened, homebrewers in the area would have to travel all over Los Angeles to obtain what they needed. “The business was founded to provide equipment supplies for the brewing community within a 20 mile radius, with supplies for beer, wine, cider, mead and other spirits,” said Araceli Cardenas. “We wanted to offer quality ingredients, durable equipment and excellent customer service to build life-long brewers.” The shop, located just south of Monrovia’s popular Old Town area, supplies everything a new or experienced homebrewer needs, from an impressive array of imported and domestic specialty grains to fill-ups for CO₂ tanks to bottling supplies and more. The shop nurtures local interest in homebrewing by offering inexperienced brewers a head-start by attending one of their monthly beer-making classes, covering topics like all-grain brewing and extract brewing. Their e-newsletter helps the community stay on top of their newest ingredients, equipment, and upcoming events, while their website is crammed with beer recipes, brewing resources, and even a calendar for year-round local homebrew competitions.
Though the Shop is relatively new to the Monrovia community, the founders aren’t new to brewing. Steven and Araceli Cardenas are also partners at Monrovia’s nearby Pacific Plate Brewing Co., Monrovia’s first and only craft brewery just a few steps away from Monrovia Homebrew Shop – a perfect combo for a brew-focused outing. Faithful to the spirit of local homebrewing, the shop also hosts free “Bottle Share” days where local homebrewers and beer enthusiasts can bring their own brews or personal favorites to share, allowing guests to taste and learn from fellow homebrewers in the area. Lovers of all-things-fermented will also benefit from new classes on wine-making, cider-making, mead-making and yeast culture, all slated to be introduced by the shop in the coming year.
Monrovia Homebrew Shop’s “Bottle Share” event, where local homebrewers and beer enthusiasts share their favorite beers – Courtesy Photo
As brewers and entrepreneurs, the founders’ commitment to bringing great brewing products and services to Monrovia and beyond is evident. “We make beer for a living. We customize our advice and provide an array of products that are tailored to each brewer,” said Araceli Cardenas. “We provide personal experience and care to all our customers.”
For homebrewing supplies, classes and community events, visitors can stop by Monrovia Homebrew Shop’s storefront location at 1945 S. Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia. You can learn more about their services at the Monrovia Home Brew Shop Website | 626-531-0825 | monrovia.homebrew@gmail.com and follow the fermentation fun on Facebook and Instagram @monroviahbs.
